


Seven Minutes of Something

by Granjolrass



Category: The Magicians (TV), The Magicians - Lev Grossman
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Halloween, Halloween Gift Exchange, M/M, Mild Smut, Shameless Teenage Party Shenanigans, halloween party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-27 08:40:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12577952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Granjolrass/pseuds/Granjolrass
Summary: Quentin Coldwater has never been one for parties, and being chosen to attend an elite high school for magicians hasn't changed that. But when his best friend Julia drags him to a Halloween party, he meets a boy that changes his mind.





	Seven Minutes of Something

Quentin stood in the corner tugging at the hem of his sport coat uncomfortably. When Julia had told him it was a costume party, he had assumed that meant he should wear a costume. He had managed to put together a period accurate Martin Chatwin costume, his favorite character from the Fillory and Further series by far. But apparently, to the average teenager ‘costume party’ meant ‘excuse to wear as little as possible’. As far has he could tell, he was the only one in an actual costume. Most everyone else was either a sexy version of something, or a pop culture reference that was lost on Quentin. Someone had made a joke about him pulling a ‘Lindsay Lohan in Mean Girls’, but he had absolutely no idea what that meant, and was frankly a little offended anyone would think he would watch a movie with that title. He scratched his arm. The Fillory books had never mentioned how itchy wool was.

He leaned further into the corner, trying to make himself as small as possible, and drank deeply from his cup. He immediately started coughing, because that was definitely not fruit punch like Julia had promised. Quentin had never liked parties, and being whisked off to a boarding school for magicians hadn’t changed that. He had only come because Julia had begged him. “You can’t spend Halloween alone!” She had told him “It’ll be fun!” Except it was becoming clear their ideas of ‘fun’ we’re drastically different. Quentin’s idea of fun was sitting alone in his room reading a good book, not being around a bunch of drunk teenage magicians shooting off spells they hadn’t mastered like party tricks. Quentin was sure something would catch fire before the night was over. He scanned the room trying to figure out where his so-called best friend has run off to. The house was huge. It belonged to the family of Alice Quinn, the smartest girl in their year. According to Julia, who made a habit of knowing all the gossip, Alice’s parents had practically forced her into have a party, which seemed strange to Quentin. His parents would certainly never allow him to go to a party like this, let alone host one. Not that he would have any interest in that anyway. 

His eyes darted around the room. He spotted three sexy nurses, a toga-wearing guy puking in the corner, and several costumes he was pretty sure were culturally appropriative, but no Julia. He was determining how mad she would be if he ditched, when someone caught his eye from across the room. The culprit was a lanky boy who was completely bare, save a pair of shiny gold booty shorts. Quentin had never seen him before, so he suspected he was a year or two older than him. The boy was talking with a pretty brunette wearing cat ears, and Quentin guessed she must have said something funny, because the boy started laughing and his smile made Quentin’s heart skip a beat. The boy’s dark curls spilled onto his forehead, bouncing a little as he laughed. Suddenly the boy’s eyes met his and before he could decide how to feel, a familiar voice snapped him out of his trance.  
“Earth to Quentin.” Julia teased, passing her hand in front of his face. “Anyone in there?”

He jumped, nearly spilling his drink. “Jesus Jules.” He said, grabbing his chest. “Are you trying to kill me?” 

Julia grinned. “Not today.” She said, winking as she brushed her hair behind her shoulder. Julia was pretty; way too pretty to be hanging out with someone like Quentin. They had been friends since they were kids, and although they made kind of an odd pair, they balanced each other out in some kind of weird way. She was wearing a form-fitting black dress and a witch’s hat. Quentin figured she could have been wearing a trash bag and still looked amazing. She was that kind of girl.

“Sorry I took so long.” She lamented. I ran into Alice and we were talking about this week’s exam.” She sighed, sipping her drink. “So, what caught you attention so much that you didn’t even notice me?” She teased, glancing in the direction Quentin had been staring. Her eyes settled on Eliot and she grinned mischievously. “Oh.” She said with a knowing nod.

Quentin flushed and took a deep drink from his cup to avoid the conversation. 

“Quentin Coldwater, are you crushing on someone?” She gave a giddy grin. “Come on.” She said, taking his arm in hers. “We’re going over there.”

Before Quentin could protest, Julia was dragging him in the direction of the boy. He downed the rest of his drink, grimacing at the taste. As they approached, he noticed a crowd was starting to form around the boy. The brunette with the cat ears who had been by his side earlier grinned. Quentin thought he had heard Julia call her Margo.

“You’re just in time.” Margo said, beckoning them over with a finger. “We were just about to play spin the bottle.” She patted the seat next to her on the couch, offering a flirtatious smile. Quentin couldn’t decide if it was intended for him or Julia. At least eight other kids had gathered for the game. The only one Quentin recognized was Alice, and she looked like she had been dragged there. His instinct told him that was probably Margo’s doing. 

“Come on, Eliot.” She chided, crossing her arms. 

The dark-haired boy turned around and Quentin couldn’t help but stare. He was the kind of person who commanded an entire room without even trying. The boy, Eliot, pressed his lips to a nearly empty bottle of wine, knocking it back until it was empty. Quentin stared as Eliot licked the wine off his lips. 

“I was just making all the necessary preparations.” Eliot said with a smirk, placing himself between Margo and Quentin and setting the bottle down on the table. “We all know the rules. Someone spins the bottle and they have to kiss whoever it lands on, yada yada.” He waved his hand dismissively. “But what if we make things a little interesting? I say if the person spinning guesses who it’s going to land on and gets it right, they do seven minutes in heaven instead.” There were a few giggles and murmurs of agreement. Quentin leaned over to ask Julia what “seven minutes in heaven” was, and blushed when he got the answer. 

“Okay!” Margo said, standing up and rubbing her hands together. “I’ll go first.” She scanned the room, a devious glint in her eyes. She pointed to an upperclassman Quentin didn’t recognize and spun the bottle with a flashy spell. Everyone watched with bated breath as the bottle slowed down. It settled on Alice who stared at Margo like a deer in headlights. Margo smirked, placing a hand on her thigh and leaning over to give her a kiss that lasted longer than Quentin was expecting. In the end, Alice didn’t seem too mad about it. There were a few whistles and then it was Alice’s turn.

Quentin bit his lip. Games like this gave him anxiety. His heart pounded every time the bottle spun. What was even the point of this anyway? Kissing strangers wasn’t something Quentin found particularly enticing. He started to think about a documentary he watched once about all the microbes that live in people’s mouths. He suddenly became very aware of his tongue. Was there even a good place for your tongue to rest in your mouth? Suddenly a voice calling his name snapped him out of his daze.

“Quentin.” He looked up to find that the circle had gotten quiet and all eyes were on him. “That is your name, isn’t it?” Quentin realized the voice belonged to Eliot. He nodded stupidly. His face suddenly felt very hot. He figured he could blame it on the alcohol. Eliot smirked, spinning the bottle. Quentin felt as though his heart might beat right out of his chest. He didn’t realize he was shaking until Julia put a hand on his knee; a silent reminder to relax. The bottle began to slow, and suddenly the sound of hooting and hollering and whistles filled the room. The bottle had indeed landed on Quentin. He looked at Julia for help, but she just grinned, nudging him toward Eliot. The dark haired boy was already standing with a satisfied smirk, offering Quentin his hand. He took it reluctantly, giving Julia a ‘how could you let this happen’ look as Eliot led him to a nearby closet. 

Eliot opened the door, motioning for Quentin to enter first. He followed Quentin in, the door clicking shut behind them. Eliot was dimly illuminated by a thin stream of moonlight spilling in from a small window in the back of the closet. Quentin tried not to focus on him too hard cause god those shorts were short. For a moment there was silence. Quentin cleared his throat. 

“So…” He said, not knowing exactly what he was supposed to do next. “What are you supposed to be anyway?”

In the dim light he could just make out Eliot’s smirk. “You’ve never seen Rocky Horror?” He asked, placing his hand on Quentin waist. “Can I tell you a secret? “He continued, leaning in closer. “If I’m being honest, mostly it was just an excuse to wear booty shorts.”

Quentin felt his face flush “You’re pretty.” He said stupidly. “I mean, you’re costume is- you look good” He stumbled on his words, beginning to wonder what exactly was in that drink Julia gave him. 

Eliot leaned in, pulling off Quentin’s costume glasses and looking him over with reverence. “You’re pretty too.” He murmured, and then he leaned in and pressed his lips against Quentin’s for a slow, chaste kiss. Eliot’s lips were softer than Quentin had expected. He sighed into the kiss, closing his eyes. The kiss seemed to last for ages. Eliot pulled away slowly and there was a moment where they stared into each other’s eyes. Then Quentin leaned back in. 

He kissed Eliot with a need he didn’t know was there until their lips had touched. Eliot’s hand snaked around his waist and Quentin sighed into the kiss, his lips parting. Eliot took this as an invitation, deepening the kiss as Quentin found his hand resting on Eliot’s cheek. Quentin hadn’t had all that many experiences with kissing, but this was like nothing he’d ever felt before. And the only thought in his mind was that he needed more. His free hand reached out tentatively to touch Eliot’s chest. He could feel Eliot smile into this kiss as his hand guided Quentin’s, encouraging him to explore. Quentin obliged, bringing his other hand down, dragging his fingers across Eliot’s body. He was rewarded with a moan from Eliot that went straight to Quentin’s stomach where a sensation of need was slowly growing. 

“So eager.” Eliot murmured against his lips, his mouth moving to kiss down Quentin’s jawline and neck. The younger boy gasped, stumbling backward as Eliot pushed him against the closet wall. Quentin shivered at the heat of their bodies pressed together, his hands sliding around to Eliot’s back, just over the hem of his shorts. He could feel Eliot’s growing need pressed against his. He couldn’t help but grind against him, a moan escaping his lips. He was beginning to understand the draw of kissing with strangers after all. 

“We should stop.” Quentin murmured half-heartedly, throwing his head back as Eliot sucked on his neck. 

“Are you sure?” Eliot said, his lips against his skin. “Who knows how much time we have left. Do you really want to waste it?” Quentin groaned in defeat. Eliot reached out, tilting Quentin’s chin upward and capturing him in another kiss. Quentin thread his fingers through Eliot’s thick black hair, gripping it tightly and moaning into his mouth. Eliot’s hand slid over the fabric of Quentin’s blazer as they kissed, unbuttoning it and parting just long enough to shove it off his shoulders. He worked on the buttons of his shirt, spreading the fabric open as he explored his chest. Quentin moaned as Eliot brushed over a nipple.

He went teasingly slow, his hand moving steadily southward. As soon as his fingers reached the hem of Quentin’s pants, there was a bang on the door. “Times up lovebirds!” Margo’s voice called from the other side . Eliot pulled back, retracing his hand slowly. In the light of the moon, Quentin could see the smirk on Eliot’s face. 

“Do we have to stop?” He blurted out before he could stop himself. For a moment all Quentin could hear was their haggard breathing, but Eliot finally spoke.

“I think I saw a bedroom upstairs.” He said, and Quentin didn’t need to see him to imagine the glint in his eye. Quentin spent a moment putting himself together, and as Eliot went to open the door, Quentin put a hand on his shoulder. 

“Wait.” He said, pressing his lips together.” How did you know the bottle was going to land on me?”

Eliot turned around slowly, shooting him a devilish grin. “Can I tell you something?” He said, moving closer to Quentin. He pressed his lips against his ear. “I’m telekinetic.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is my Halloween gift exchange entry for the amazing brakebillsshitpost. The prompt was 'whatever I wanted' always a dangerous game to play. I hope you enjoy it! Happy Halloween!


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